A colourful cabbage-inspired serving bowl from Bordallo Pinheiro. Made of earthenware in Portugal using traditional ceramic manufacturing techniques, the bowl is microwave and dishwasher safe for everyday use.

From cabbage leaf serving dishes to bowls shaped like melons or plates like strawberries, Bordallo Pinheiro's plant-inspired ceramics are a feast for the senses. Still produced in the same factory in Caldas da Rainha in Portugal, where artist Rafael Bordallo Pinheiro first designed them back in the 1800s, these leafy beauties never date.

All china is made from clay and kiln-fired for durability. Except for pieces with special trims, everything is dishwasher-safe.

Earthenware is strong and practical, often a little thicker than other ceramics, making it ideal for everyday use.

Stoneware is fired at high temperatures, very tough and heat-resistant, and comes in a number of different glaze finishes.

Porcelain is affordable yet luxurious, renowned for its translucency, and has an extremely tough glazed surface.

Fine china uses synthetic bone ash for a more affordable alternative to bone china, strong, translucent, and delicate.

New bone china is a type of porcelain with added calcium oxide to achieve a similar aesthetic as bone china without animal bone ash.

Bone china is the strongest and most translucent ceramic, containing at least 35% bone ash, and is tough enough for daily use.